Ikea Will Start Selling Solar Panels In All British Stores

Monday, 30 September 2013 12:31

British consumers will now be able to buy solar panels at their local Ikeas.

Ikea, known for cavernous stores, mail-order furniture, odd names, and wordless assembly instructions, is testing sales of panels in the British market “because it has the right combination of mid-level electricity prices and government-sponsored financial incentives that make investing in solar energy attractive to consumers,” according to the AP.

The price makes sense for anyone who will be powering their home by the system for seven years. Someone who owns a semi-detached home can buy a 3.36 kilowatt system for the equivalent of $9,200. A system of that size consists of 18 panels. That’s cheap compared to U.S. solar prices, which reached a low in Texas last month at $3.90 per watt — meaning a 3.36 kilowatt system would cost a bit over $13,000.

An Ikea solar panel would include the traditional in-store consult and design service, but there’s no attached instruction manual. The price also includes installation, maintenance, and energy monitoring after it’s installed.